Fire extinguisher apparatus



May18, 1948. P. B. HAMMELL FIRE EXTINGUISHER APPARATUS Filed Jan. 16, 1945 INVENTOR. PERRY B. HAMMELL. BY

Patented May 18, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 8 Claims. 1

This invention relates to fire fighting apparatus and particularly to novel fire extinguishing means.

According to the present invention means are provided for forcibly directing discrete relatively insoluble material such as sand or the like against and over-a burning surface to smother and extinguish the fire. In the apparatus of the present invention the forcible emission and distribution of the sand or like material is accomplished by air or other fluid pressure means. In the form of the invention illustrated herein by way of example the ejection and distribution of solid granular material may be selectively accompanied by controlled discharge of water or other'llquid, the water discharge being of varying degree depending on whether the purpose is merely to wet the granular material or to discharge a surplus of liquid to serve a more or less independent fire extinguishing effect.

In the example of the present invention illustrated herein and described in the following specification the apparatus is depicted as comprising a unitary container having two storage chambers. This illustration conveniently sets forth the principles of the present invention but it is to be understood that the underlying novelty is not restricted to a portable device ofv the kind shown and that two chambers need not be as intimately related as in the form shown in the drawing. In larger forms of the apparatus, such as might be mounted upon a fire fighting vehicle such as a truck, the two chambers may be independently supported on the truck. Similarly, while the example shown and described shows a self-contained stored pressure supply, larger vehicular forms of the apparatus may be provided with continuous pressure generating apparatus in the form of a motor driven pump or the like.

Other modifications of the basic principles of the present invention will occur to those skilled in the art from a perusal of the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing. It is to be understood that 'such modifications will not necessarily depart from the principles of my invention, which is limited only as defined in the appended claims.

The single figure of the drawing is a central vertical cross sectional view through one form of the apparatus of my invention.

In the drawing the numerals l0 and II desighate, respectively, upper and lower hollow cylindrical casings. As shown, the casings may be rigidly connected to form a continuous whole by 2 upper casing l0, designated l3, thus serves as a top. closure for the lower casing II. The lower casing ll serves as a container or reservoir for sand or equivalent material while the upper casing III is adapted to contain water, either alone or with dissolved gases, or other fluid material, such as the various foam-forming substances employed in this field.

Referring to the drawing, the lower casing II has a bottom wall It which slopes toward a discharge passage It, to facilitate egress of the sand. The discharge passage I6 is controlled by suitable valve means I1 and may terminate in a flexible conduit I8 whereby the discharge stream may be effectively directed or played in any desired direction without necessarily moving the device proper.

It will be noted that the sloping bottom wall I! of lower casing l I has fixed therein in any desired manner a tube 2|) which, in the illustrated form, is substantially coaxial with and directed toward the passage l8. The opposite end of tube 20 is below the wall I! and terminates ina globe valve 22 which has a suitable control knob or wheel 23. .The inlet side-of valve 22 has a tube 2! which extends upwardly through bottom wall It and'through the interior of casing l I to a point near its upper end.

A tube 21 extends entirely through upper casing it, opening into the upper end of the interior or casing ll. At its upper end tube 21 is provided with a T fitting 28 which is equipped with a pressure gauge 30 and a conventional Schrader valve 3|. By means of valve II and tube 21 any desired degree of fluid pressure may be established in casing I-l and such pressure may be readily replenished as required. A conventional pipe plug, as at 34, may be employed to provide a filler opening for introducing sand into casing II.

From the foregoing it will be seen that a blast of air or other gas through tube 20, which is established and regulated by manipulation of the knob 23 of valve 22, forces sand outwardly through passage l6 and hose it. The quantity and continuity of sand discharge is ultimately controlled by valve I! through manipulation of a control handle 38. The air pressure established in the upper part of lower casing I I thus serves in a dual capacity to discharge sand II, both directly by reason of the pressure which it exerts on the upper surface of the sand it regardless of the condition of valve 22, and by the separately controlled discharge or air through tube 20.

[screw-threading, as at 12. The-lower wall of It Reference will now be had to the Junction and formed in the side wall of lower casing H and that the passage 40 extends upwardly through bottom wall It of upper casing l and terminates at its lower end adjacent to passage It. A manual valve ll controls fiow through passage 40 which may in the first instance be under the force of gravity, although such flow will be increased to a greater or lesser extent by the Venturl action of fluid flow from tube 20 through passage l8. In the form shown the upper end of casing i0 is provided with a filler plug 43 which includes a vent opening 44.

The upper casing In may contain any available or desirable foam-forming. agents. It may also contain water solutions of various pressureevolving materials such as bicarbonate of soda or carbon dioxide. In that case the vent 44 will be either omitted or closed.

I claim:

1. Fire extinguishing apparatus comprising a receptacle adapted to contain sand and like material, a discharge passage adjacent the lower end thereof, means for introducing and maintaining fluid pressure insaid receptacle above and against the sand contained therein, a conduit extending from the upper portion of the interior of said receptacle to a point adjacent and opening toward said discharge passage .to supply pressure from the upper portion of the interior of the receptacle to the discharge passage, manual valve means in said conduit, valve means for manually controlling said discharge passage, a second receptacle adapted to contain liquid, and a passage extending from the second receptacle to a point adjacent said discharge passage to merge with the discharge flow thereof,

2. Fire extinguishing apparatus comprising a receptacle adapted to contain sand and like material, a discharge passage adjacent the lower 7 end thereof, means for introducing and maintaining fluid pressure in said receptacle above and against the sand contained therein, a conduit extending from the upper portion of the interior of said receptacle to a point adjacent and opening toward said discharge passage to supply pressure from the upper portion of the interior of the receptacle to the discharge passage, valve means for manually controlling said discharge passage, a second: receptacle adapted to contain liquid, and a passage extending from the second receptacle to a point adjacent said discharge passage to merge with the discharge flow thereof.

3. Fire extinguishing apparatus comprising a plurality of chambers, one adapted to contain sand and like material and'the other adapted to contain liquid, a discharge passage extending from the first chamber, a passage extending from the second chamber to a point adjacent said discharge passage to merge with the discharge flow thereof, and fluid pressure means for forcibly discharging sand through said discharge passage, said la'stmentioned means comprising means for maintaining fluid pressure in said first chamber and a conduit extending from the upper portion of the interior of the first chamber above the nor- 4 mal sand level to a point adjacent and opening toward said discharge passage to direct pressure fluid from said first chamber through said discharge passage.

4. Fire extinguishing apparatus comprising a receptacle adapted to contain sand and like material, a discharge passage adjacent the lower end thereof, means for introducing and maintaining fluid pressure in said receptacle above and against the sand contained therein, a conduit extending from the upper portion of the interior of said receptacle to a point adjacent and opening toward said discharge passage to direct pressure fluid from said upper receptacle interior portion through said discharge passage, manual valve means in said conduit, valve means for manually controlling said discharge passage, a second receptacle adapted to contain liquid, a liquid passage extending from the second receptacle to a point adjacent said discharge passage to merge with the discharge flow thereof, and manual valve means for controlling the liquid passage.

5. Fire extinguishing apparatus comprising a receptacle adapted to contain sand and like material, a discharge passage adjacent the lower end thereof, means for introducing and maintaining fluid pressure in said receptacle above and against the sand contained therein, a conduit extending from the upper portion of the interior of said receptacle to a point adjacent and opening toward said discharge passage to direct pressure fluid from said upper receptacle interior portion through said discharge passage, valve means for manually controlling said discharge passage, a second receptacle adapted to contain liquid, a liquid passage extending from the second receptacle to a point adjacent said discharge passage to merge with the discharge flow thereof, and

manual .valve means for controlling the liquid passage.

6. Fire extinguishing apparatus comprising a plurality of chambers, one adapted to contain sand and like material and the other adapted to contain liquid, a discharge passage extending from the first chamber, a passage extending from the second chamber to a point adjacent said discharge passage to merge with the discharge flow thereof, and fluid pressure means for forcibly discharging sand through said discharge passage, said last-mentioned means comprising means for maintaining fluid pressure in said first chamber and a conduit extending from the upper portion of the interior of the first chamber above the normal sand level to a point adjacent and opening toward said discharge passage to direct pressure fluid from said first chamber through said discharge passage, and valve means for controlling fiuid flow through said conduit.

PERRY B. HAMMELL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the "file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

